Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Return gift?
It's usually Shah Rukh Khan who flings his shades at fans who throng the road outside his Bandra home every year to wish him on his birthday. But in a role reversal of sorts, a pair came flying the actor's way on his 53rd birthday yesterday, which he then handed to his bodyguards for safe keeping. Pic/Satej Shinde

Chitrangada Chakraborty in a still from the film

All eyes on this monitor
Rupa is a computer programmer. She lives with her mother and has a boyfriend, but they never meet and only talk on the phone. She wants to be successful and financially independent, so she works hard. But her boss is always looking for an opportunity to make her feel uncomfortable. This is the premise for Monitor, a new short film that has made it to the 49th International Film Festival of India, Goa. The film, directed by Hari Viswanath is told from the point of view of Rupa's - played by actor Chitrangada Chakraborty of Netflix feature film Tikli and Laxmi Bomb fame - computer. Speaking about the selection, the young actor said, "The film being screened at this point of time is a great coincidence [because of the #MeToo movement unfolding in the country] and we didn't shoot it with that in mind. It's an honour to be a part of this prestigious film festival. I am hoping that more people get to see this piece of art."

Making a splash
Of all the different western sounds that have made their way into the Indian music circuit over the years, reggae has been relatively underserved. So when Goa Sunsplash, a festival dedicated to the genre, was first held in 2016, we saw it as a welcome move. One of last year's headliners was the inimitable Johnny Osbourne. And now, the line-up for this year has been announced. It includes Jamaican superstar Anthony B (in pic), the UK-based Channel One Sound System and Craig Black Eagle, a dancehall performer who will teach the audience how to shake a leg with Caribbean flair. So, book your tickets now to soak up some sun, sand and reggae sounds.

Cricketer Sulakshna Naik

Celebrating the Laxmi in every woman (biker)
With Diwali round the corner, restaurants across Mumbai are rolling out lip-smacking menus to add to the festive vibe. Chembur's Sindhi cuisine restaurant, Duma Dum Mast Kalandar, however, is doing things differently. Here, owners Dharmesh Karmokar and Amit Jambotkar will be hosting 30 Harley women riders today.

Tattoo artist Kruti Andrade

"I am a Harley rider myself... I wanted to celebrate women this Diwali and what better than to do it by breaking a stereotype. Our restaurant serves the cuisine of west Punjab, inspired by the rich culture and tradition of Sindh and Punjab. Women in that part of the world were enterprising and self-sufficient. It was a progressive society. This Diwali, we are celebrating just that: our hopes are pinned on progress, and women are and should be the torchbearers of the future," says Jambotkar. All passionate city-based bikers, the women hail from different walks of life. Sulakshna Naik, for example, is a cricketer while Harmeet Sawhney is a hotelier. They will be served an array of specialties including suran jo kabab and chicken papad fry for starters, while dal pakwan and aamban ji kadhi will be part of the main course.

Laughter on its way
It's been a good year for Indo-Australia cultural exchange with the six month-long Australia Fest underway in full swing. Its next highlight is The Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) Roadshow, which will be heading to India for a five-city tour this month, with Aussie artistes reaching Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Delhi before a season at the Bengaluru Comedy Festival. While this should bring some joy to stand-up buffs in town, the artistes from Down Under are excited too.

"Every year at the MICF, I'm blown away by the quality of the comedians who come over from India. I can't wait for them to say the same about me!" Guy Montgomery (in pic) said. While fellow comedian Aaron Chen shares his excitement, he is looking forward to munching on some warm naans, too.

Worth every penny
It was Kala Ghoda-based auction house Astaguru's debut numismatic and philatelic auction this week. Conducted online, it was the former segment that saw great enthusiasm from patrons. The lot that went for Rs 50,60,000 under this segment was the Rupees 10 Government of India uniface progressive proof note from the year 1958. What fetched the high value was its historical significance, as this was the draft upon which the finalised banknote was derived. We may not be around for the day, but who knows, decades later, the discontinued 100- and 500-rupee notes in the wake of demonetisation might just earn collectors a lot of moolah?

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